Wowza.

I've definitely been taking a leave of absence from this blogging business. Since November, I would say a lot has happened. I mean a new year has even started and we're into the second month. So, I guess that's where I'll start. 

The New Year. 

2013.

For NYE, our family has the tradition of eating Korean food. My mom luckily got the LAST bag of mandoo in all of O'ahu (yes, the entire island) because someone else didn't pick it up. New Year's miracles! She got marinated meat and all the side dishes. The only thing we had to cook was the fried zucchini. So convenient. So delicious.

These are my prized, most favorite pants. Big Dog: Talk to the paw. Thank you to Alex Ching in the 7th grade.

For normal people, this would be evidence of a kanak attack. But for Abe, he just falls asleep. Every. Single. Time. And anywhere.

Litto boy almost grown.

+Sally Lee even baked a pie! 
It's not that she can't bake, she just doesn't very often (for our own good because sweets aren't good for you). Good lookin' out, mom!

Half the fam bam. The other half was in Manhattan Beach or St. George. We "hungout" with them. Technology these days. Bringing families who aren't together, together.

But they call us the favorites.

Lee. Legacy. Legendary.
Branded into the land.
Until the grass grows back.

We played fireworks in the backyard...on the deck, in the yard, basically not on cement.

Whatchu kno bout da 25,000?

"I love the smell of fireworks!"-Sally Lee
She always starts NYE cautious about the police, neighbors, illegal this or that, but when we start playing, Sal leads the way. It reminds her of her childhood. Look at that smile.

Zara Elizabeth Hokulani Tsuda.

waddup mama.

The Lim boys.
I put a fountain down for Ryan, (left, 6years old), to light. When the fire caught, he would get so nervous that he would drop the punk and run up the ramp. This year he graduated from Pop Pops and into the semi-big leagues.

Award for the most enthusiastic firework player: Jojo. 

After midnight, we cleaned up, sort of. You're actually supposed to leave the rubbish for good luck. My dad swept it through the holes of the deck...

My brother and I always go to the Buddhist temple to eat ozoni and get blessed for the upcoming year. We got fortunes, or omikuji, and mine was "excellent." It read, 

"How glad to see the rain falling on the paddies after a long drought! You are coming back as if the rice plants returned to life again after the shower in the late summer. Always be honest and never speak ill of others. Be diligent." 

Here we go 2013!